Improvement in turbine water-wheels



T. B. CDURSEY.

Turbine Water-Wheels.

Patented March 24,1874.-

No.l48,935.

mrz eases.

Nrrnn STATES vrrrca.

IMPROVEMENT IN TURBINE WATER-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. {48,935, dated March24, 1874; application filed January 20, 1874.4

To all Iwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. GoURsnY, of Kent county, Delaware, haveinvented certaiii'new and useful Improvements in Turbine Tater-Wheels,of which the following is a specication, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

The invention relates to that class of waterwheels known as turbine; andconsists in the peculiar structure andv arrangement of the buckets aboutthe center of the wheel, as hereinafter more specically set forth. Theobject of the invention is to provide a form and arrangement of bucketsthat will utilize to the greatest possible extent the volume of waterintroduced to the wheel by retaining its power as near the periphery ofthe wheel as possible, and then securing its reactionary power as itpasses off.

Figure l is a top view of a device embodying the elements of theinvention, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly insection. Fig. 3 is a section of the bucket, Fig. 5, on the line w. Fig.4 is a section of same on the line y y. Fig. 5 is a detached view of thebucket E.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the wheel-shaft, placedvertically in the center of the plate B, which is provided about itscenter with the circular hub or plate I), having its inner facesvertical and its outer curving concavely gradually downward a suitabledistance, the concavity and curve vanishing near the circumference ofthe plate B, leaving a proper extent of its surface near itscircumference horizontal. The buckets E are arranged consecutively aboutthe hub or plate D, and rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner,and also rigidly attached to the horizontal portion of the plate B by abolt or screw, a., passingthrough the lip` b, which projects from theupper outer rear portion of each of the buckets, which are arranged sothat the lower horizontal edge el of each succeeding bucket overlaps therear ofthe bucket in front of it, each of these edges projecting at asimilar tangent from the circumference of the circular plane of thevertical wall of the hub or plate D, the buckets being placed as nearlyas possible upon the plane of thechord of the are of one-fourth of thecircumference of the plate B for the reason that by this arrangementthewater in the scroll strikes the bucket near its outer edge adjacentto the lip \c at right angles to the center of the wheel, which, hence,obtains the greatest possible power, the water being held, as it were,upon or near the periphery of the wheel. The buckets E are formed so asto fit in a water-tight manner upon the surfaces to which they areattached.

Vhen in position, the form of the bucket E may be described as follows:Its outer rear surface is partially vertical, but at about twothirds ofits extent downward it curves downward, forward, and toward the centerof the wheel. The lower edge extends farthest forward on the inside;thence it inclines outward Y and rearward at about an angle offorty-five degrees, (450.) The outer side or edge of the bucket isprovided with the concavo-convex lip e, which extends forward of thegreatest concavity of the bucket, and is reduced in front to a thinedge, vanishing at the base of the horizontal (or nearly so) lowerportion of the inside of the bucket. A second ange, h, is provided onthe interior edge of the bucket, which extends along the same, forming aslight angle with the inner surface thereof, which is generally concaveand widest at its lower parts, thence gradually narrowing until itreaches the base of the bucket.

By this construction and arrangement, the direct action of the water inthe scroll is upon the inner surface of the buckets adjacent the h'ps e,or their outer edges, whence, after expending a portion of its momentum,the water presses continuously upon the bucket, driving thewheelforward. The pressure, being still continued, comes next upon thelower portion of the interior of the bucket, exhausting its power uponthe lower part of the lip e, and thence passing off outwardly, andfollows, gcnerally, in its descent, the lip e, thus continuing until itpasses over the points of the buckets, upon the parts adjacent which thereactionary power is exerted as the water escapes, driving away thetail-water. Y,

The above form of wheel isto be used with a scroll or register gate ofproper dimensions. Moreover, the construction permits the use of the lipb, thus securing an excellent means of attachment Without diminishingthe utility of the bucket.

I am aware that turbine Wheels have been constructed having lips ou theexterior edges of their buckets and operated by Water admitted fromabove, as shown in the device for which Letters Patent of the UnitedStates Were issued to Boyland andBuchanan, dated June 27, 1871; but suchis not, however, the nature of my invention; but

That I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The Wheel formed of the plate B and hub or plate l) having securedthereon, in the manner stated, the buckets E, having the form shown, andprovided With the lips e, arranged tohold the Water near the outer edgeof the buckets and discharge it rearward, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing improvements in turbineWater-Wheels, as above described, I have hereunto set my hand and sealthis 15th day of January, 1874.

THOMAS B. GOURSEY. [L. s]

Witnesses:

tLitres B. ANDERSON, S. D. SMrTHERs.

